Category: Seattle

Buuteeq Secures $3,500,000 Series A Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=02f0d752-323b-4af0-8ded-01ea03de09d1&Preview=1 Date 6/8/2011 Company Name Buuteeq Mailing Address 70 21 Freemont Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98103 Company Description Buuteeq offers a hosted digital marketing solution for small/medium size independently managed hotels. Website http://www.buuteeq.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,500,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. M&A … Continue reading “Buuteeq Secures $3,500,000 Series A Funding”

Concur Expands in Europe with GlobalExpense Acquisition, Latest in Series of Pickups and Partnerships

Online business expense-management company Concur has been on a dealmaking tear this year, and isn’t slowing down just yet. Today, the Redmond, WA-based company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CNQR]]) announced it would purchase London’s GlobalExpense for about $19.7 million. Performance incentives could add another $3.3 million to the price. From Concur’s description, GlobalExpense sounds like a pretty similar … Continue reading “Concur Expands in Europe with GlobalExpense Acquisition, Latest in Series of Pickups and Partnerships”

ASCO Wrap-Up: The Skinny on Cancer News From All Corners of the U.S.

Whoever came up with the phrase “drinking from the fire hose,” could have easily been thinking of the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting. The information on cancer R&D has been flowing furiously the past few days at ASCO, which draws about 30,000 cancer doctors, drug company executives, investors, and journalists. I didn’t attend … Continue reading “ASCO Wrap-Up: The Skinny on Cancer News From All Corners of the U.S.”

Facebook vs. Google, Polaris Skips Town, HackStars’ Unlikely Origin, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup

As the Web becomes more social, will search start to whither as a primary means for consumers to access the Internet? That’s been suggested by some folks in the tech world, as the rise of Facebook begins to create a dynamic layer on top of the “regular” Web that isn’t fully reachable by Google’s crawlers. … Continue reading “Facebook vs. Google, Polaris Skips Town, HackStars’ Unlikely Origin, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup”

PATH Partners With GSK on Malaria Vaccine

PATH, the Seattle-based global health nonprofit, said it has formed a collaboration with Netherlands-based Crucell and London-based GlaxoSmithKline to develop a next-generation malaria vaccine. The effort will bring together two vaccine approaches in an attempt to improve upon Glaxo’s RTS,S, a vaccine that has shown an ability to protect about half of people who get … Continue reading “PATH Partners With GSK on Malaria Vaccine”

TechStars Seattle, on the Prowl for Talented Coders, Adopts HackStars Program

Last year, the organizers of TechStars in Boulder, CO, decided to try a little experiment. Already stocked with 10 teams of entrepreneurs working on their proto-companies, the startup boot-camp saw a niche for extra hands to help knock out some of the startups’ technical projects. So David Cohen, TechStars’ founder and CEO, brought in a … Continue reading “TechStars Seattle, on the Prowl for Talented Coders, Adopts HackStars Program”

Adaptive TCR, a Fred Hutch Spinoff, Snags $5.8M to Take Immune System Profiling Up a Notch

Seattle-based Adaptive TCR, a startup that grew out of immune-system profiling work at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, has raised $5.8 million in an equity investment round that could be worth as much as $7.5 million over time. Adaptive TCR, profiled in these pages back in December, has secured the new financing from a … Continue reading “Adaptive TCR, a Fred Hutch Spinoff, Snags $5.8M to Take Immune System Profiling Up a Notch”

The Quest For Biotech Independence: Maybe It Isn’t So Quixotic After All

Conventional wisdom a couple years ago said that the era of the independent biotech giant was over. Nobody would ever again build a multi-billion dollar, fully integrated independent biopharma company on the scale of an Amgen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMGN]]), or even a Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GILD]]). Drug development is too risky, time-consuming, and expensive. Investors, tired … Continue reading “The Quest For Biotech Independence: Maybe It Isn’t So Quixotic After All”

Adaptive TCR Secures $5,821,524 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=efb7d74c-4ce9-4a88-898d-4f19a2eadc19&Preview=1 Date 6/6/2011 Company Name Adaptive TCR Mailing Address 307 Westlake Ave N Seattle, WA 98109 Company Description Adaptive TCR Corporation’s platform technology breaks open the field of genomics immunology. T-cell receptor profiling using Adaptive’s proprietary technology and software allows scientists to study the adaptive immune system to an unprecedented depth via … Continue reading “Adaptive TCR Secures $5,821,524 New Funding”

Dear Apple: Go Big with Siri and Nuance in iOS 5

As someone who served on the boards of Siri and Nuance—two companies whose technologies are rumored to be deeply integrated into Apple’s upcoming iOS 5—I might have a unique take on what’s possible at the upcoming Apple World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC ) in San Francisco June 6-10. I throw my speculations into the ring … Continue reading “Dear Apple: Go Big with Siri and Nuance in iOS 5”

GeekWire Launch Party

GeekWire, the Seattle-based tech news site, is organizing its launch party at ShowBox Sodo on June 22. For more information on how to register, click here.

Gates Foundation Shows Off New Campus to Local Bigwigs: The Photo Gallery

Bill Gates reportedly spent a fair chunk of change, $500 million, on a new campus near the Seattle Center for his charitable foundation. So naturally, it was only a matter of time before the software mogul-turned-humanitarian and his wife Melinda decided to invite about 1,000 or so community leaders in media, politics, and business to … Continue reading “Gates Foundation Shows Off New Campus to Local Bigwigs: The Photo Gallery”

Silicon Chef: A Half-Baked Guide to Food Startups

[Updated 12/06/12 with additional listings] When the ex-CEO of Pure Digital, maker of the famous Flip pocket camcorder, wins funding from Sequoia Capital to open a chain of grilled cheese sandwich shops, it may be time to abandon your own enterprise-cloud-marketing-analytics-automation venture or your social-mobile-deals-gamification startup and think about getting into the food business. I was … Continue reading “Silicon Chef: A Half-Baked Guide to Food Startups”

Facebook, Google & Beyond: Rand Fishkin of SEOmoz & Ben Elowitz of Wetpaint Debate the Future of Information and Relationships

Among the “Gang of Four” tech giants that Google Chairman Eric Schmidt says are driving consumer technology innovation, two iconic companies—Google and Facebook—are battling for an important title: Who will dominate the means of accessing, sorting, and connecting to the Internet’s flood of information. With Facebook on the rise, and Google’s self-professed stumbles in seizing … Continue reading “Facebook, Google & Beyond: Rand Fishkin of SEOmoz & Ben Elowitz of Wetpaint Debate the Future of Information and Relationships”

AVI Biopharma CEO Chris Garabedian Seeks to Avoid Quick Flip, Build Enduring Drug Company

Chris Garabedian took his first shot at being a CEO last December. Immediately, people thought this was a little bit crazy. Friends wondered, why leave a job as an up-and-coming VP of corporate strategy at a biotech powerhouse like Summit, NJ-based Celgene (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CELG]]) to run an obscure little company like AVI Biopharma (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVII]])? … Continue reading “AVI Biopharma CEO Chris Garabedian Seeks to Avoid Quick Flip, Build Enduring Drug Company”

With California Deals Heating Up, Polaris Venture Partners to Open Palo Alto Office

Polaris Venture Partners is significantly increasing its presence in California, where roughly one-third of its active portfolio companies are now based, and plans to soon open an office in Palo Alto, in the heart of Silicon Valley, Xconomy has learned. Polaris general partner Dave Barrett says the firm is still looking at space and so … Continue reading “With California Deals Heating Up, Polaris Venture Partners to Open Palo Alto Office”

ValueAppeal Adds $1.6M

Seattle-based ValueAppeal, an online service that helps homeowners challenge their property tax bills, has added $1.6 million in financing. The startup had raised two rounds totaling about $1.5 million last year, mostly from angel investors. ValueAppeal says the new money is mostly from existing investors, but they weren’t named. Founder and CEO Charlie Walsh says the fresh … Continue reading “ValueAppeal Adds $1.6M”

Tippr Grabs Sales & Tech Talent in DealPop Acquisition, Continuing Daily Deals Dogfight for Third Place

[Updated at 11:40 am with Groupon/Expedia news] When was the last time a contest for third place was so action-packed? Riding the skyrocketing valuations of online coupon dealers Groupon and Living Social, startups like Seattle’s Tippr and New York-based BuyWithMe have been engaging in some hand-to-hand combat for growth. Today, Tippr makes another move with … Continue reading “Tippr Grabs Sales & Tech Talent in DealPop Acquisition, Continuing Daily Deals Dogfight for Third Place”

Trinity Leads $10M Investment in Act-On Software, Helping Oregon-Based Digital Marketing Company Fuel International Growth

[Updated 4:45 pm to correct headline, copy reflecting Trinity as lead investor. Previous information provided by company spokesperson was incorrect.] Well, that was quick. Act-On Software, a Beaverton, OR-based online marketing company, has raised a $10 million financing round led by Trinity Ventures at what founder and CEO Raghu Raghavan calls “a substantial step up in … Continue reading “Trinity Leads $10M Investment in Act-On Software, Helping Oregon-Based Digital Marketing Company Fuel International Growth”

Act-On Software Garners $10,000,000 Series C Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3f187717-7806-4436-b118-d69449169433&Preview=1 Date 6/1/2011 Company Name Act-On Software Mailing Address 4905 SW Griffith Drive Beaverton, OR 97005 Company Description We provide a next-generation communication and collaboration service that transforms business e-mail into a true 24/7 prospect and customer interaction service. Website http://www.actonsoftware.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $10,000,000 Transaction Round Series C … Continue reading “Act-On Software Garners $10,000,000 Series C Financing”

Amazon Open House

Check out one of Amazon.com’s newly opened South Lake Union buildings, hear from Distinguished Engineer James Hamilton, and network with teams including Amazon Web Services, Amazon Appstore for Android and Amazon Instant Video. Drinks and appetizers served. Open to the public, RSVP here.

Growing Cleantech Businesses

The Washington Clean Technology Alliance and Pacific Northwest Cleantech Open present this half-day conference, including segments on transforming legacy industries, nuclear power after the Fukushima meltdown, and the Cleantech Open semifinalists. Tickets and more information here.

Micron, IV Strike Deal

Intellectual Ventures, the Bellevue, WA-based patent firm started by former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold, is announcing a new two-way intellectual property deal with Boise, ID-based semiconductor maker Micron Technology (NASDAQ:[[ticker:MU]]). Like many licensing deals we see from Intellectual Ventures, this one gives Micron access to IV’s portfolio of “more than 30,000” patents. The second element … Continue reading “Micron, IV Strike Deal”

Hollywood Lights, Rock Gods, Cleantech Gurus, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup

With an established moviemaking hub so close in Vancouver, B.C., Seattle is probably never going to be ground zero for a lot of Hollywood productions. But this area’s entrepreneurs, with rich DNA in digital media, gaming, and e-commerce, could certainly make some waves by helping the entertainment industry navigate the digital era. In this piece, … Continue reading “Hollywood Lights, Rock Gods, Cleantech Gurus, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup”

Mobilisafe Lands $1,200,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=1041e036-5f38-4ed8-a2ce-35d1e9a79a59&Preview=1 Date 5/28/2011 Company Name Mobilisafe Mailing Address 5151 55th Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98118 Company Description The company is developing technologies to enable business IT departments to cope with mobile devices. Website http://mobilisafe.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $1,200,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed, however … Continue reading “Mobilisafe Lands $1,200,000 New Funding Round”

Madrona, Trilogy Lead $1.2M Investment in Mobilisafe, Targeting Business IT Security Amid a Flood of Personal Gadgets

Aside from the occasional panic over distracted driving or general griping about bad manners, the rapid improvement in personal mobile computing over the past decade is usually portrayed as a happy occurrence. But the phenomenon is also creating a range of headaches for business IT people, who could rightfully see an arsenal of vulnerabilities in … Continue reading “Madrona, Trilogy Lead $1.2M Investment in Mobilisafe, Targeting Business IT Security Amid a Flood of Personal Gadgets”

Report: Polaris Closes Seattle Office

A report by VentureWire this afternoon (although oddly post-dated to May 31) says Waltham, MA-based Polaris Venture Partners has closed its Seattle office. I’ve reached out to Polaris officials for comment but haven’t heard back as of this posting. According to Polaris’ website, the Seattle office was home base for co-founder and venture partner Steve … Continue reading “Report: Polaris Closes Seattle Office”

UW Business Plan Competition Winners: Clean Water, Better Food, & Next-Gen Medical Scans

[Updated at 12:30 to correct grand prize amount] After nearly two months of development, pitching, advice, and several rounds of judging, the 2011 University of Washington Business Plan Competition is a wrap. The annual event drew 104 teams this year, which the UW’s Foster Business School says is a record. Last night, winners were named … Continue reading “UW Business Plan Competition Winners: Clean Water, Better Food, & Next-Gen Medical Scans”

Entrepreneurial Street Survival: The Essential AC/DC Songlist

This may give away my age and musical tastes, but I’ve noticed how entrepreneurs nearly always end up sounding like AC/DC. It’s hard. It takes a long time. Capital raising is brutal. It’s a Long Way to the Top if You Wanna Rock and Roll. Over the years, I’ve mentioned some of the following. It … Continue reading “Entrepreneurial Street Survival: The Essential AC/DC Songlist”

Yes, Technology Is Taking Jobs Away, But Here’s How It Might Give Them Back

Back in March, I wrote a column arguing that smartphones, tablet computers, Internet TVs and other personal technologies are delivering an unexpected bonus. Rather than depreciating, the way most equipment does, these gadgets actually get more valuable over time thanks to the hundreds of new apps that debut every week, plus free upgrades for existing … Continue reading “Yes, Technology Is Taking Jobs Away, But Here’s How It Might Give Them Back”

Google’s Purchase of Sparkbuy: Sounds Like it’s More Than Just a Talent Acquisition

So, maybe Google’s purchase of startup electronics shopping site Sparkbuy wasn’t just a talent acquisition? That’s the word from Scott Silver, director of Google’s Kirkland, WA office, in a follow-up interview with The Seattle Times’ Brier Dudley. Dudley also reports that Google is eyeing the cluster of retail talent in the Seattle area, which has … Continue reading “Google’s Purchase of Sparkbuy: Sounds Like it’s More Than Just a Talent Acquisition”

Ford Lists Top 25 EV Cities, Highlights Pacific Coast Corridor for Future EV Road Trips

With the average price of gasoline reaching almost $4 a gallon nationwide, it’s safe to say a lot of people are curious about the all-electric vehicles (EV) that many automakers have been showing off lately. Still, it’s hard to justify the $100,000-plus sticker price for a Tesla Roadster or the $33,000 price of a Nissan … Continue reading “Ford Lists Top 25 EV Cities, Highlights Pacific Coast Corridor for Future EV Road Trips”

Accelerator’s New Cancer Startup, 23andMe Hanging at the ISB, How to Make $ With No IPO, & More in Seattle-Area Life Sciences News

This week’s biotech news roundup is short and sweet. —Accelerator, the Seattle-based hothouse for biotech startups, is humming with the activity of a new cancer drug startup called Oncofactor. This company is setting out to spur the immune system to fight tumors. —23andMe, the Mountain View, CA-based consumer genetic testing company, made an appearance at … Continue reading “Accelerator’s New Cancer Startup, 23andMe Hanging at the ISB, How to Make $ With No IPO, & More in Seattle-Area Life Sciences News”

New Crop of Pivotal Leaders

Votes are in for the second class of Pivotal Leaders—the peer-selected group of cleantech business leaders in the Pacific Northwest, created by Portland, OR-based venture firm Pivotal Investments. This year’s honors were whittled from a field of more than 700 nominations for leaders from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia. One interesting thing about the … Continue reading “New Crop of Pivotal Leaders”

Seattle Goes Hollywood: Four Startups Aiming to Help Studios, Celebs Embrace the Digital Age

When Dave Long first started pitching movie studios on a new way to market their old titles, he encountered a fair bit of skepticism. After all, what could a boardgame entrepreneur from soggy Seattle possibly teach Hollywood about selling its own stars? Nearly 10 years later, the “Scene It?” brand—which builds trivia games around movie … Continue reading “Seattle Goes Hollywood: Four Startups Aiming to Help Studios, Celebs Embrace the Digital Age”

Oncofactor Garners $2,100,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5778e8f6-3593-49f3-9eae-68c12966208c&Preview=1 Date 5/25/2011 Company Name Oncofactor Mailing Address 1616 Eastlake Ave. E. Seattle, WA 98102 Company Description Oncofactor is developing cancer therapeutics that disrupt signaling pathways between tumors and the immune system. Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,100,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes Specific proceeds purposes were not … Continue reading “Oncofactor Garners $2,100,000 Series A Financing Round”

ShopIgniter Obtains $8,000,000 Series B Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=89231cfb-e5d6-4425-8362-715c25f1c2f3&Preview=1 Date 5/25/2011 Company Name ShopIgniter Mailing Address Undisclosed Portland, OR 97201 Company Description The goal of ShopIgniter is to bring human interaction to eCommerce with social media tools, bridging the offline and online shopping experience. Website http://www.shopigniter.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,000,000 Transaction Round Series B Proceeds Purposes The … Continue reading “ShopIgniter Obtains $8,000,000 Series B Financing”

23andMe Brings Down the Price of Consumer Genetic Tests, Builds Up Relations With Big Pharma

23andMe is used to lots of eye-rolling from scientists. One geneticist, quoted a year ago in the New York Times, ridiculed the Mountain View, CA-based maker of consumer genetic tests for providing little more than “a really wonderful form of recreation.” One year later, 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki stood in front of a room of … Continue reading “23andMe Brings Down the Price of Consumer Genetic Tests, Builds Up Relations With Big Pharma”

Microsoft Takes on Everybody, Google Buys Sparkbuy, More Fuel for the Talent Wars, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup

After maturing into a steady software company with a mammoth organizational chart, Microsoft is the source of plenty of eye-rolling in the world of tech upstarts—hometown fans included. But every so often, you see a glimpse of what the Redmond, WA-based tech titan could do if its energy was directed just right. We’ve certainly seen … Continue reading “Microsoft Takes on Everybody, Google Buys Sparkbuy, More Fuel for the Talent Wars, & More in the Seattle-Area Tech Roundup”

Accelerator’s New Startup, Oncofactor, Seeks to Spark Immune System Fight Against Cancer

Seattleites know better than most that the notion that you can spur the immune system to fight cancer is going through a renaissance. So it shouldn’t be any surprise that Accelerator’s newest startup, Oncofactor, is testing out a variation on this red-hot theme. Accelerator, the Seattle-based haven for biotech startups, has plunked down the first … Continue reading “Accelerator’s New Startup, Oncofactor, Seeks to Spark Immune System Fight Against Cancer”

ITegris Garners $4,672,323 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6c424152-10ba-492e-be44-73045d7cbc12&Preview=1 Date 5/24/2011 Company Name ITegris Mailing Address 9014 N. E. 26th St. Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description The company will focus on helping enterprises effectively manage their software and IP assets. Website http://www.iTegris.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $4,672,323 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were not disclosed. SEC … Continue reading “ITegris Garners $4,672,323 New Round”

IPO Pipeline Pumps Up the Volume in First Quarter

A recent study of IPO filings by the Ernst & Young accounting firm shows that 47 companies filed for initial public offerings during the quarter that ended March 31, and a total of 125 companies are waiting to go public on U.S. markets. Of the 125 companies in the pipeline, 25 are based in California, … Continue reading “IPO Pipeline Pumps Up the Volume in First Quarter”

Tech Talent Shortage, One of this Year’s Major Storylines, Illustrated in National Study by Job-Search Site Dice

If you want another bit of evidence that the technology job market is really competitive, job-search site Dice is out with a new study that ranks states according to their estimated shortage of new tech workers. Xconomy locations, which align with the top innovation clusters nationally, are well represented atop the list for having the … Continue reading “Tech Talent Shortage, One of this Year’s Major Storylines, Illustrated in National Study by Job-Search Site Dice”

Google Buys Sparkbuy, Less Than Two Months After Seattle Startup’s Product Launch

Sparkbuy, a consumer electronics shopping site based in Seattle, has been purchased by Google (NASDAQ: [[ticker:GOOG]]), the startup announced today on its website. The company, which has been around for less than a year, had raised about $1 million, led by Benaroya Ventures and angel investor Geoff Entress. Terms of the acquisition weren’t disclosed, but … Continue reading “Google Buys Sparkbuy, Less Than Two Months After Seattle Startup’s Product Launch”

iTegris Raises $4.6M

iTegris, a stealth-mode Bellevue, WA-area startup headed by former Ignition Partners entrepreneur-in-residence Kurt Kolb, has raised about $4.6 million in equity financing according to a new SEC filing. iTegris’ web page is the standard placeholder, but the metadata search description says the company’s “focus in on helping companies to effectively manage their software and IP … Continue reading “iTegris Raises $4.6M”

Kobo Seattle Expanding

Kobo, the Canadian company that makes an e-reader for Borders, plans to expand its presence in Seattle, according to this interview with The Seattle Times’ Brier Dudley. Kobo, which is out with a new touchscreen version of its e-reader today, previously hired Amazon.com alum Todd Humphrey as its business development director. Now, Dudley reports that Kobo … Continue reading “Kobo Seattle Expanding”

How to Make Money in Biotech With No Hope of Going Public, Slim Odds of Getting Acquired

Most biotech entrepreneurs I’ve met have a dream that ends one of two ways. They will either take their company public, or sell their startup to a giant drugmaker. Those are the paths to making money, making venture investors happy, and getting the resources needed to take a new drug all the way to the … Continue reading “How to Make Money in Biotech With No Hope of Going Public, Slim Odds of Getting Acquired”

Google Acquires Sparkbuy for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=20bb3660-2b36-4828-82d9-03b99dd3f86f&Preview=1 Date 5/23/2011 Company Name Sparkbuy Mailing Address 6100 4th Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98108 Company Description The company is developing an as yet unspecified Internet service. Website http://www.sparkbuy.com Transaction Type M&A Transaction Amount Undisclosed Transaction Round Proceeds Purposes M&A Terms Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.